LEAP Center – Page 71 – Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

A Capitol Education: The Texas Legislature

We had a dual-view day ahead of us, when we awoke. Our morning hours would be spent examining the governing side of Texas politics. Our afternoon and evening hours would be devoted to the campaigning side of Texas politics. Both were rewarding, and both informed and enriched our understanding of the other.

We began with a tour of the Texas Capitol. Our tour guide was informative, providing us with a nice overview of the capitol while also highlighting interesting side features.

In the Capitol’s rotunda, for example, visitors can stand in the center, speak, and hear an echo that those around them cannot hear. Or, did you know that the door hinges weight 7.5 pounds? These are just some of the interesting facts that a tour will provide.

On a more macro-level, we visited the Texas Senate…

…where we saw the vivid paintings “Dawn at the Alamo” and “The Battle of San Jacinto,” both by Henry Arthur McArdle, who offered a heroic interpretation of the quest for Texas independence. Speaking of which, we showed our state pride by taking a photograph with the portrait of Sam Houston, who not only led troops to victory at San Jacinto, but went on to serve Texas as President, Senator, and Governor.

We completed our capitol tour with a visit to the underground annex, where we admired the window view of Goddess of Liberty, which towers atop the capitol dome.

Following a brief visit to the Capitol Grill—we would later be told, “don’t ever eat at the Capitol Grill, not ever—we journeyed the extension to find the office of SHSU Alumnus Representative Will Metcalf. There we met Chief of Staff Zachary Stephenson, who provided us with a rewarding presentation on working in the legislature.

Given the long work days, he said he looks for employees and interns who maintain a positive, professional attitude; avoid excessive participation in Austin’s thriving party scene; can remain productive over the course of the session; and will represent the office well. It was good advice to students who are interested in the possibility of interning during the upcoming session, and we are thankful for his time and wisdom.

We continued our education on the legislative process with the help of House Parliamentarian Chris Griesel and the Deputy House Parliamentarian Shalla Sluyter. The House floor is currently under renovation and is closed to the public, but that did not stop us from getting a photograph…

…or from learning more than we could have ever known to ask about how legislatures work. Griesel and Sluyter demonstrated their exemplary knowledge of both the history of Parliamentary Procedure and how the legislative process unfolds.

Capitol_Tour_Parliamentarian_1_Web — Parliamentarian Chris Griesel Explaining Parliamentary Procedure

For example, did you know, that because the British upper-class spoke in French during the time of the Magna Carta, the concept of an assembly body fell under the French word for speaking, evolving from parley to Parliament. Moreover, rather than address all the representatives from the assembly, the King would designate one person to speak—the speaker—a designation that evolved into the U.S. “Speaker of the House.”

It was interesting speaking to these attorneys, both of whom shared their admirable intellects while discussing drone policy, the legislative process, our careers, and Mae West legislation—a proposed bills designed to get a specific audience to “come up and see me sometime.”

We should also add that Mr. Griesel very generously gave us two copies of Profiles in Courage, John F. Kennedy’s Pulitzer-Prize winning biographies of US Senators. When we got back to the car with gifts and opened the book, we noticed that he had marked the chapter featuring Sam Houston.

Although our morning only covered the governing portion of our dual-view day, our learning went well beyond statesmanship. From the history of the English language to the art of H.A. McArdle to the literary efforts of a former President, we left the Capitol more well-rounded than we entered. With such a productive morning, we could only speculate on what the evening would hold at our first-ever New Politics Forum Campaign Bootcamp.

College 101: AVID About Learning

Robert Loughran left SHSU in 2011, graduating with a degree in Political Science and plans to go into education. But he returned to his Bearkat home this Saturday, bringing 45 middle-schoolers and a few parents, all of whom wanted to learn more about Sam Houston State University. On hand to help were the LEAP Ambassadors, who served as young chaperones, tour guides, and mentors for a six-hour workday on Saturday.

To begin the day LEAP Ambassadors welcomed the AVID Students, who travelled 3 hours to visit Huntsville and Sam Houston State University, at Carbonero‘s for lunch. Carboneros is a local restaurant that serves authentic Salvadoran food. At the restaurant, the students were seated in groups of 7-8 with their classmates and also with one of the six LEAP Ambassadors who were present to mentor them throughout the day. This made lunch interactive and interesting because we all got to learn a little about each other. The students and volunteers got to enjoy a buffet-style lunch which included pupusas, rotisserie chicken, chicken/beef enchiladas, tacos al carbon, their famous chaufa rice, and hamburgers for the not-so-adventurous students. For an hour we ate, talked about what the day had in store, prepared for the next portion of the day and enjoyed the enthusiasm of 45 students who travelled from a Dallas school district—on a Saturday—to get a taste of El Salvadoran food and of college.

Following a full meal, AVID students headed to campus to attend a mock college class taught by Professor Yawn.

The goal of the class was to give the students a realistic idea of what to expect in a real college level course. To that end, the students were given three days to read the Bill of Rights and summaries of four court cases.

It was a lot to chew on for middle schoolers, and the grades reflected that.

But the students perked up for Professor Yawn’s lecture, which ranged from the criminal justice amendments of the US Constitution to the role that technology plays in changing interpretations of “search and seizure.”

The students eagerly asked questions and were willing to participate in Professor Yawn’s role-playing examples—including an arrest and detention which, incidentally, tied in to the days’ later activities.

Many students commented that the class was their favorite part of the day! Even LEAP Ambassadors enjoyed and learned from the lecture.

AVID_Day_Alex_Karla_Web — Alejandra Galvan and Karla Rosales

Breaking into groups, the Ambassadors teamed up to lead students on a tour across campus. Visiting the Newton Gresham Library, the Lowman Student Center, Rec Sports, the Performing Arts Center, and the College of Criminal Justice, we hoped each group got a sampling of what SHSU offers academically and recreationally. The tour time allowed students to ask questions and learn more about the University. Even LEAP Ambassadors brushed up on the University’s history. For example, we learned that SHSU became the first fully air-conditioned campus in the world during SHSU President Harmon L. Lowman’s presidency! Once the tours were finished, we regrouped and AVID students eagerly boarded the bus to visit the Texas Prison Museum.

It is impossible to come to Huntsville without knowing at least three things about the area: (1) it’s the home of Sam Houston, the man; (2) it’s the home of Sam Houston, the University; and (3) Huntsville has prisons. The AVID students got a briefing on the first two during class and the SHSU tour and their final destination allowed them to experience the history of the Texas Prison System at the Texas Prison Museum.

Visitors to the Museum are encouraged to watch a short history of the Texas Prison system when they arrive, and AVID students eagerly sat for the eight-minute program.

They were also treated to a brief overview by Jim Willett, who worked for the prison for 30 years, many of those years as Warden of the Walls Unit. He provided a few interesting details, and then showed the young students a large model of the Unit he once supervised.

The students’ attention was also caught by the masterful pieces of art located throughout the museum. One piece that caught everyone’s attention was a large piece of wood, much like a tree stump, that had animal faces carved into it. It is an impressive piece of art work, and it’s difficult and sad to think about it being created in a prison.

Of course, the most famous piece of wood in the Museum is the prison’s notorious electric chair. Located toward the rear of the Museum, surrounded by the institutional green walls of the prison system and illuminated by a single fluorescent light, Ol’ Sparky sits forlornly. It’s chilling to experience this instrument from a few feet away.

Another popular exhibit was the illegal contraband that has been confiscated from inmates over the years. These items would impress any engineer, architect, or inventor. Pipe shotguns made of lined paper towel rolls, lead and string; a tattoo machines made from a pencil and stored in a sock; hollowed out wood-soled shoes that hid a knife blade, much like a James Bond gadget. Seeing these things close up not only made us all thankful for the glass separating the contraband from us, but also for our freedom.

Of course, no trip to the Texas Prison Museum is complete without a photograph of the visitors in the model jail cell. Students displayed way too much pleasure while posing in the jail cells.

The exhibits of the Texas Prison Museum have valuable lessons to teach both young and old. And these exact lessons are why the LEAP Ambassadors and AVID Students sacrificed a Saturday to educate and empower ourselves with knowledge and service.

It was a long day, but so worth it! It gave AVID students an idea of what to expect in college and what the Huntsville community can offer and it prompted the LEAP Ambassadors to play a mentorship role, which for most, was a new experience. I believe that we all benefited from what LEAP calls AVID Day and we hope that we can do it again in the future.

Day One: Big D and the GOP

Ever since we attended the Walker County Republican Convention, we had been hearing many anecdotes from previous State delegates about the State Convention, and not all of the stories were good. So we were equal parts excited and anxious to see what the 2016 Republican State Convention would be like in person.

Part I: Parliamentary Training (Brian Aldaco)

The Convention is able, in theory, to flow smoothly because it is governed by Robert’s Rules of Order, and we began the convention attending the parliamentary procedure training provided by Richard Hayes, the Parliamentarian. The procedure is used often enough that this training would benefit us tremendously in other situations. The Parliamentarian led the training and gave us a sheet to help us follow along. This sheet was extremely helpful, but it was his personality that made the training interesting.

We got helpful tips to make sure the meetings ran efficiently and we learned that the goal is to have an efficient meeting by focusing on the substance instead of parliamentary maneuvers, which often just serve to delay the proceedings. It was fairly obvious that, even before the convention had officially commenced, that Hayes was anticipating dilatory tactics and his anticipatory frustration was manifest in his suggestions. At one point, Professor Yawn leaned over and said, “I’m going to have him explain my syllabus to my classes from now on.”

After learning the basics of how the Convention will work, we had a break to spend wandering through the exhibit hall. There we were able to buy GOP pins and other Republican memorabilia. The exhibit hall was also filled with information booths of different candidates aside from the Presidential race, making for a fun tour, followed by our arrival at the large hall for our first general session.

Part II: The Session (Alex Galvan)

We weren’t sure what to expect of the session, but we were grateful to have many delegates there looking out for us. Thomas Leeper, Stephanie Fors, Mike Yawn, Kara Veinotte, Cynthia Prehoda, Richard Yawn, Dorothy Yawn, Gerald Skidmore, Bobby Gardner, Micah Slaughter, Tore Fossum, Larry Hughes, Leah Boyd, Chad Byrd, Kay Deahl, and Judy Emmett were all on hand to explain things, laugh with us, and sometimes cringe with us. The day held much promise.

We began the session with a prayer, an exuberant national anthem–including the rarely heard 2nd verse–and the pledge of allegiance to the American and Texas flags. After the opening ceremony the session began with a brief overview of convention affairs by the Republican Party of Texas Chairman Tom Mechler. These affairs included various delegate seating issues, which were quickly resolved by the delegate’s votes. Even though I am unable to vote as I am attending as a guest, it was still insightful to look into these procedures. In this case the cooperation in delegate participation and Chairman efficiency proved for a speedy process that allowed for the rest of the session to continue.

Part III: The Speakers (Karla Rosales)

After the Chairman’s proceedings, we all enjoyed a passionate discourse delivered by our state’s Governor Gregg Abbott. In his speech he voiced his opinion on how he believes the nation’s political spirit ought to be shaped, a message received with enthusiasm.

This was most noticeable when Governor Abbot received standing ovations at passionate moments in his speech. Similarly, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Speaker of the House Joe Straus, Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick, and Land Commissioner George P. Bush also joined the stage for their remarks.

All of the enthusiasm from the moving speeches made us look forward to discussing our thoughts over our upcoming lunch break.

Before we sped off to lunch, Alex was caught by a Univision news crew for a quick interview.

Alex expertly fielded questions on topics ranging from Hispanic support for Donald Trump to the direction of the party, this burgeoning barrister’s fifteen minutes of fame ended, and we all headed to Cindi’s New York Deli for lunch.

Part IV: The Break and Senatorial Caucus (Kaitlyn Tyra)

Cindi’s New York Deli that offered classics like reubens, pastramis, and other sandwiches for lunch. We all ordered different meals, some more adventurous than others. Brian ordered a beef tongue sandwich and Karla and Kaitlyn stuck to what they knew and ordered a regular turkey and ham sandwich. During lunch we had a great time discussing and comparing the most outrageous outfits and signs at the convention…

…and our new experiences thus far.

After lunch we were ready for our first Senatorial District Caucus Meeting, where all the delegates from Senatorial District 5 (Senator Charles Schwertner’s District) met to elect representatives to the Permanent State Committees. Not only would we elect representatives, but we also were privileged to meet with members of the Texas Legislature such as Representative Larry Gonzales and his Chief of Staff, Chris Sanchez….

…and Senator Schwertner…

…and his Chief of Staff, Tom Holloway.

Speaking with both Chiefs of Staff offered helpful advice as we prepare to interview for the Austin Internship Program beginning in the next legislative session. During our Senatorial District Caucus Meeting we were assembled by counties and began by electing a Chairman to lead the caucus. Immediately following, we nominated and voted on our appointments for the Rules Committee, Platform Committee, and Credentials Committee. Electing representatives from each senate district in Texas ensures that we have representation in each procedural and policy area–people we trust to represent our views at the state level.

Part V: Random Sightings (Mike Yawn)

As rare as it is to meet with state-wide elected officials, we saw something even more rare. Yes, we saw Ryan Brim working!

At first, we thought our eyes were deceiving us, and that it might perhaps be an urban legend of some sort, something akin to a sighting of bigfoot…

…but, no, Ryan had obtained a job as Page at the convention (thank you Linda McKenzie!), and he had various tasks such as posting contradictory signs to confuse bewildered delegates.

Part VI: Wrapping Up (Megan Chapa)

After a quick break and stroll to the opposite side of the convention center, we gathered for our first Congressional District Caucus Meeting. The Congressional District Caucus Meeting elects representatives to National Committees. Interestingly enough, in this meeting it took longer for people to find their seats than it actually took to vote! The short meeting was a plus, because after a long day of labor and lawmaking, we were ready for the southern food of Ellen’s.

The newly renovated restaurant was homely and offered a variety of traditional southern plates and breakfast options. The group experimented with salads, breakfast steaks, shrimp and grits, and chicken fried steak. The restaurant had just moved locations and the service was a bit rocky (menus please!), but we all enjoyed the food. We also enjoyed the interesting conversation about the day’s events at the 2016 Republican Convention.

Thomas Leeper, First Assistant City Attorney for Bryan TX, joined us and shared with us some of his favorite legal books, advice on law school, and a few of his law-school and career experiences.

With dinner complete, we headed back to the Omni, hoping to walk off some of the food. On the way, we stopped at one of Dallas’s civic engagement spots: one of the Big D signs posted around town. Promoting the town logo of “The Big D”, the City has put up signs around town with a giant “B” and “G,” with a space in between. This space is designed to be filled by citizens, turning “i” into the City–Big D. And that’s what we did.

But that was our only stop, because our destination included an ice-cream social by Senator Lois Kolkhorst and one of her staff members, Matthew Russell.

It was great talking with a wonderful leader within the party and state. Many of her constituents were present and she made time to talk with all of them. It definitely showed us the importance of being a leader and maintaining strong relationships with constituents.

After a long day, all of us were exhausted but also excited to watch another convention day unfold. We have learned so much and have met and watched many great leaders. We hope to take what we have learned back to our communities!

Alex, Megan, Kaitlyn, Karla, and Brian would like to thank all of the Walker County Republicans who voted them as delegates and who have welcomed them to the Convention. This trip was self-funded and was not subsidized by either SHSU or the LEAP Center.

Hunts-Vegas & HEARTS

Viva, Viva, Lost Wages!! Well, maybe those are not the exact words of the famous Elvis song, but as we all can imagine those words fit the exact same meaning of Las Vegas! Once again, the LEAP Ambassadors are back for the annual Casino Night at the HEARTS Veterans Museum. The theme for this year’s casino night was 50’s and 60’s retro, so the LEAP Ambassadors left their suits at home and came in retro costumes of varying authenticity.

Of course, the boys displayed their stylish bowties. It was a particularly poignant event for me. It was my first event as a LEAP Ambassador last year, and it is my last event of this academic year, my last as an SHSU student. THe roulette wheel, as it were, went full circle. So I went all in on the costume.

The H.E.A.R.T.S Veterans Museum of Texas honors veterans both past and present. The museum serves as a place for former, present, and future veterans to all come together to reflect on and share their experiences serving the country. Just as important, the museum allows all people to see the price that our veterans and those serving today have paid for this country. They do this through exhibits and programming, the latter led by the capable Letty Clark and when she asked us to volunteer for this event, we were more than happy to do so.

After a delicious meal, and a concert from Marilyn Monroe herself…

…the gambling began and the crowd rushed to the games! The games included poker, black jack, bingo and many slot machines. All the LEAP Ambassadors were very busy with their tasks.

Alex and Karla sold tickets for the raffle.

Bryan helped develop fabulous pictures to capture everyone’s great memories of the night.

Karla and Beatriz enjoyed their time helping at the Bingo Table.

And the two most outgoing Ambassadors, Megan and yours truly, used our charm to sell poker chips.

Before the night ended, the Ambassadors were lucky enough to be given the opportunity to play some of the casino games. For some, it was their first time playing, but I was there to guide them through the process.

We had some winners and some losers at the tables, but it was all fun!

After the gambling had ceased, the main event had come: the raffle for prizes. Megan was the prize announcer and Alex chose all of the lucky winning tickets. Some of the major prizes included a one-hour massage at The Facemaker, a barbecue grill, a shotgun, and a trip to a resort and casino!

With some time spent with Marilyn Monroe, some time spent with one of our favorite community members Letty Clark, and some time spent together for a good cause, made it a fun, rewarding evening.

Of course, on a sadder note, I’ll be leaving my SHSU family, a prospect that made everyone sad (except, apparently, for Beatriz and Brian) …

But I’ll be back–for next year’s football game and some other random occasions, and LEAP will continue doing its usual combination of volunteerism, programming, pre-lawing, and travel excursions. Until then…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toVqzyX554I

Music & Mayhem: Damn Yankees!

Although finals week is rapidly approaching, LEAP Ambassadors were glad to have some free time to see SHSU Department of Theatre and Musical Theatre’s showing of Damn Yankees, the last production of the spring semester.

Everyone expected Damn Yankees to be a homerun and we were not disappointed!

Based on the book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, Damn Yankees is a musical that tells the story of 50-year old Joe Boyd. As one of the Washington Senators’ biggest fans, he sells his soul to the devil to become the 20-year old star baseball player for the Washington Senators. After the sinful pact is made, Joe is able to accomplish his lifelong dream of beating those “damn” New York Yankees. As the plot unfolds, we discover that perhaps Joe’s selfish ambition may have overshadowed his true love for his wife.

The play incorporated many musical numbers with rich orchestration that captivated the audience members. Although each musical number was entertaining, “Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, MO” was voted as the group’s favorite.

In this whimsical dance number, each move was choreographed so as to playfully resemble a dance off, which captured the spirit of Damn Yankees.

Of course, “Whatever Lola Wants” was also a lot of fun, and later in the week, while volunteering at the HEARTS Museum, we heard a Marilyn Monroe impersonator do the same song!

“It was my first time to attend a musical, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. But it was fun! It had comedy, with the addition of great music and dancing!”–Karla Rosales.

Etiquette 101: Class and College Can Go Together

The LEAP Center Ambassadors jumped at the opportunity to enhance their professionalism by attending an Etiquette Dinner presented by SHSU Career Services and taught by national etiquette expert, Diane Gottsman. She is the author and owner of the Protocol School of Texas, a company that specializes in executive and business etiquette training. Ms. Gottsman is also the resident etiquette expert for talk shows like, San Antonio Living and Good Day Austin, so we all knew that we were in good hands.

That evening Ms. Gottsman’s main focus was teaching us how to behave at a dinner interview, as these types of interviews are becoming more popular. We learned that Employers want to be able to see how you behave and handle awkward situations and how you treat your wait staff. By the end of the training we were experts in both!

Before beginning the training, Ms. Gottsman emphasized the importance of asking questions and definitely made sure we asked plenty of questions. She reminded us that etiquette is not about criticizing because the minute you criticize others you lose your power. Ms. Gottsman pointed out that “Smart people ask questions” and this gave us confidence when raising our hands to ask all kinds of questions.

We started with the basics, the “b and d” rule. This is an easy way to remember that your bread plate goes on the left and your drink goes on the right. This should help us stay away from any awkward situations such as drinking out of another person’s glass, but just in case we also learned how to deal with these situations if they arise. Along with this, we learned many more rules such as how to use utensils appropriately, how to pass the bread, how to enter and exit your chair, how to excuse yourself if needed, and how to follow your host or be the host.

We didn’t only learn about the American and European style of dining, but we also learned about how to prepare for interviews ahead of time and about the best color clothing to wear to interviews. For example, white or blue color shirts would be preferable over dark colored shirts. According to Ms. Gottsman, light colors gives you more power than darker colors would.

Starting the dinner we were all (even those who had attended the etiquette dinner last year) timid in our every movements, not wanting to mess up, but by the end of the night we were all eating confidently and correctly. We were very fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from an expert like Ms. Gottsman who made us feel comfortable when asking questions and provided a great learning environment for us.

Thank you to SHSU Career Services for providing us with this great opportunity.

Legal Advice from the Top

For the 2nd time in a year, the LEAP Center Ambassadors met with–and gained valuable advice from–former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

It was also the 2nd time that LEAP Ambassador Austin Campbell had the honor of introducing Gonzales.

And there was a lot to cover in the introduction: Gonzales was the first Hispanic partner at Vinson and Elkins, one of the largest law firms in the US and the largest in Texas. He was then appointed by President Bush to the Texas Supreme Court. When Bush won the Presidency, he asked Gonzales to be White House counsel. When Bush was re-elected, Gonzales was appointed as US Attorney General.

But last week, he was an advisor to LEAP Ambassadors by morning and advisor to Dr. Heather Evans’ Political Science class by afternoon.

In both sessions, he opened with a video of his time in the White House. With soaring music, patriotic symbols of the US, and some of the premier leaders of the last 20 years, it was a stirring video. It was a fitting accompaniment for what General Gonzales called the “best place I’ve ever worked.”

In both meetings, he hit on interesting topics, particularly for those interested in POLS or pre-law:

Advising the President on Law: It’s not intimidating. The President took my advice on the legal aspects of matters. If a policy was illegal, it was the end of discussion. But if it was legal, the President typically relied on other advisors for the wisdom of such policies.
The Hours in the White House: You work 7am-8pm on weekdays, significant hours on Saturday, and you work many Sundays. You need an understanding spouse to work in the White House, and the pay isn’t great, but it’s an honor.

Ethnicity and Success: I think race has helped me at times and hurt me at times. Some people rooted against me to become the first minority partner in my law firm. But President Bush also explicitly said that my ethnicity was a factor in picking me for the Supreme Court of Texas. Texas has a significant Hispanic population, and he wanted that fact reflected on the Supreme Court.
Merrick Garland and a Senate Vote: Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland deserves a vote by the US Senate. A senator can vote for or against according to the dictates of his or her own conscience, but the nominee deserves a vote and the public deserves to know how each senator voted. (This point was particularly appropriate in Dr. Evans’ US Congress class, in which we were covering Legislative-Executive relations).
Working in the White House: It was “great.” I didn’t miss a day because of illness, because I wanted to be there and had much work to do. It was an honor every day to go into work.

Gonzales also provided career-specific advice. He encouraged us to open up as many doors as possible, noting that you never know when a person in a position of power might be paying attention to who is and who isn’t working hard and worthy of additional opportunities.

With these words of encouragement in mind, the LEAP Ambassadors headed off to their classes, to study, or to their LSAT Prep Courses, hoping for additional opportunities!

The LEAP Center would like to thank Colonel David Yebra for arranging these meetings!

Appeals on Wheels: 10th COA Rolls into SHSU

If it’s spring, it’s time for the 10th Court of Appeals to hear four cases at Sam Houston State University. This year’s cases proved remarkably diverse, and students received a live, up-close education on the application of the law.

The 10th Court of Appeals first came to SHSU six years ago, in 2011. It was the brain-child of Chief Justice Tom Gray, and his colleagues Justice Al Scoggins and Justice Rex Davis enthusiastically agreed to come to Sam Houston. Professor Mike Yawn and the group “formerly known as the Junior Fellows” soon got into the act, and there has been much legal fun since then.

The education isn’t only watching the cases in action; it’s also seeing the courtroom procedure unfold. From the “All Rise, Oyez, Oyez, Oyez”

…to Justice Gray’s explanations of courtroom decorum…

…to the attorneys, who are able (only in this setting) to explain the facts of the case to us…

…to watching the attorneys’ behavior outside the courtroom…

..the education is unique–and that’s before we even talk about the cases!

Speaking of which, this year’s cases ran the legal gamut. The 10am session (Capstone v. IES Contracting) actually involved SHSU, with the University believing that construction of Sam Houston Village was faulty. This was a complex case, one involving multiple subcontractors, mergers, and much elapsed time.

The 11am session (Annette Knopf and Stanley Gray v. William and Karen Gray) involved a disputed will, which had been written by Ms. Vada Allen. She left property to her son, but confusion resulted from her will. In particular, there was a question as to whether some of the property was a life estate–that is, given to her son for his lifetime–or whether he had outright ownership. This was not only an interesting legal situation, but also a good life lesson about the difficulty of writing your own will. (Interestingly, this case involved the legal firm for which Kaitlyn Tyra works as a courier.)

As has become our custom, the Justices broke for lunch, and we were able to join them, along with other legal professionals in the community. Just before we ate, Justice Tom Gray presented Professor Yawn with a signed copy of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s autobiography, a nice touch to a nice day.

Also nice was the lunch conversation…

…which touched on school issues, our hopefulness about our legal careers, and the cases of the day.

Following lunch, we again worked the doors for the two most interesting cases. The 1pm (in re Troy Paul) session involved Troy Paul and Destiny Spillers, who may or may not have been informally married. They weren’t formally married, but Destiny argued that their relationship constituted a “common-law” marriage, which entitled her to spousal support–support, that is, beyond the $250,000 Mercedez that she was bought by Mr. Paul. The case involves not only the question of support, but also of legal fees to the tune of $425,000.

The final case of the day (Noe Cosino v. The State of TX) involved the cutting-edge issue of a blood draw in the absence of a warrant. The courts have previously held that such draws could be made in “exigent circumstance,” but more recent decisions have blurred the lines.

Following the cases, we spent a little more time with the Justices, taking photos and asking them to sign the case descriptions.

It was a fun morning and afternoon, a wonderful in-depth education for the LEAP Ambassadors, and for more than 200 SHSU students, a nice exposure to our legal system.

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